Just to add to the embarassment that is the Edmonton Oilers.
The response from the team for having their goalie run? Zip.
Wow, that wouldn't stand in our men's league. Getzlaf was ready for some retribution (follow his head, he's looking to see if anyone is going to come after him), and someone should have obliged him. I don't care if you are jeopardizing your Lady Byng status, even if you are a foot shorter than Getzlaf, who is a fairly stout lad, you cross-check or run him from as far away as you can and then drop the gloves and hope for the best. The officials will break it up quickly if you are overmatched (this is pretty much a blueprint of my fighting career on the ice!). I don't care if it nullifies a power play, the Oilers season is pretty much toast, so a little team building exercise (line brawl) would go a long ways to building character.
"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary, full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen." - Sterling Archer
"Don't spray that urine on my sons window. If you want a dollar for doing nothing, walk to Canada." - Malory Archer
“Anyone who thinks the pen is mightier than the sword has not been stabbed with both.” - Lemony Snicket
1-14 since a month. At what point this team and direction start doing SOMETHING?
Keeper's league, points only, 24 teams league Skaters: 1 pt for goal and 1 pt for assist, Goalie, 2 pts for win, + 2 pts for SO
10 Team, Points Only, Cash League
25 Man Roster (no position), top 20 point getters count at end of month
Keep 20/25 at seasons end, Cut 5 to FA for redrafting
Goalie points W=2pt L=-1pt SHO=2pt
Stamkos, Tavares, Eichel, Mercer, JRobertson, RThomas, Kucherov, Nugent-Hopkins, Tuch, KConnor, Necas, Point, Konecny, SJarvis, Cozenz, Morrissey, Bouchard, Josi, Novak, Tolvanen, Peterka, Brink
G- Vasilevskiy, Sorokin, Oettinger
"Cleavage is like the sun. You can look, but dont stare.. Unless you're wearing sunglasses."
Darren Dreger @DarrenDreger 2m2 minutes ago
Eakins has the remainder of this season, plus two more remaining on contracts. Sounds like MacTavish may return to bench on interim basis.
*
This should be fun.
And confirmed:
Darren Dreger @DarrenDreger 21s22 seconds ago
Confirming MacTavish returns to bench on interim basis. Replacing Eakins who was fired this morning.
Honestly, I really don't even care one way or the other about this news.
I have no problem with them firing him, and I would have had no problem with them keeping him. I wasn't a fan, and he obviously wasn't working out in Edmonton, but he was only one small part of a very large problem.
As everyone has been saying, it won't make any difference this year, though it will likely appease some fans. "At least they are doing something!"
If I were in charge, I would have held onto Eakins until they made some bigger moves (new GM, new players, new President, etc.) and then had the new management group bring in their own guy to start over.
All that said, if the owner isn't willing to fire the GM and/or President, they aren't going to fire themselves (even though Lowe offered to step down before), and if they aren't able to make any reasonable trades, there isn't much more than can do besides fire Eakins.
12 team, H2H, salary cap
1 pt/G or A, 2 pts/W, 1 pt/OTL, 1 pt/SO
Forward: B. Point, M. Necas, A. Debrincat, T. Zegras, J. Bratt, L. Raymond
Defense: J. Morrissey, A. DeAngelo, S. Gostisbehere, D. Doughty
Goalie: T. Demko, E. Merzlikins
Bench: M. Rossi, C. Glass, M. Maccelli, M. Dumba, K. Shattenkirk, F. Andersen
Prospects of Note: L. Stankoven, J. Lekkerimaki, D. Yurov, B. Clarke
League has been running continuously since 1997-98
I hadn't seen this. This is possibly the most telling and brutal bit of video you could show about the Oilers, and we've seen a lot of prime examples. You HAVE to stick up for your teammates, and especially your goalie. Are they new to hockey? I don't care if you're 150 lbs., if you see this happen to your goalie (and there was no grey area on this play), you maul Getzlaf. If you're too chicken to do that, use your stick. Do something! This makes me sick. Are these guys truly this spineless, or do they hate each other? Whoever was on the ice needed to get reamed out by the coaching staff and teammates alike. Heck, I'd be tempted to bench all 5 guys on the ice for the next game, just to send a message. What would be the downside there? They'd lose the game? Ha!
If nothing else, I hope MacTavish can instil a sense of what it means to be a team to that group. How are they going to play for each other, when they know that the guy next to them won't lift a finger to stand up for them?
I hardly even think it is worth thinking about because I just don't see it happening for numerous reasons, but if the Oilers were to trade Hall, I'd love to see a "true" hockey trade in which Hall goes to a team with an abundance of centers for a center of similar age, contract, and potential. I'm thinking specifically of Dallas for Benn (they already have Seguin and Spezza down the middle) or Colorado for Duchene (they already have Mackinnon and O'Reilly). I know these trades never happen, but failing a deal like that, I would be furious if Hall was dealt.
12 team, H2H, salary cap
1 pt/G or A, 2 pts/W, 1 pt/OTL, 1 pt/SO
Forward: B. Point, M. Necas, A. Debrincat, T. Zegras, J. Bratt, L. Raymond
Defense: J. Morrissey, A. DeAngelo, S. Gostisbehere, D. Doughty
Goalie: T. Demko, E. Merzlikins
Bench: M. Rossi, C. Glass, M. Maccelli, M. Dumba, K. Shattenkirk, F. Andersen
Prospects of Note: L. Stankoven, J. Lekkerimaki, D. Yurov, B. Clarke
League has been running continuously since 1997-98
Fair enough. I know Benn has played center in the past. Regardless, my point is the same. Unless they can get a top line center, I don't want them to make the deal.
I'd also be happy with a top pairing dman like Ekman-Larsson, Pietrangelo, Weber, etc., but those are even harder to acquire via trade, so I'm not even going there.
Anyway, most people would say that Hall isn't worth a top-line center, and I can sort of understand that (given the importance of centers), but my only point is that the Oilers would be crazy to accept anything less. If they deal Hall for a bunch of smaller pieces, I will seriously quit being a fan of the team.
12 team, H2H, salary cap
1 pt/G or A, 2 pts/W, 1 pt/OTL, 1 pt/SO
Forward: B. Point, M. Necas, A. Debrincat, T. Zegras, J. Bratt, L. Raymond
Defense: J. Morrissey, A. DeAngelo, S. Gostisbehere, D. Doughty
Goalie: T. Demko, E. Merzlikins
Bench: M. Rossi, C. Glass, M. Maccelli, M. Dumba, K. Shattenkirk, F. Andersen
Prospects of Note: L. Stankoven, J. Lekkerimaki, D. Yurov, B. Clarke
League has been running continuously since 1997-98